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The Black Cave

Children's Liturgy and Story
John 1:6-8, 19-28
Third Sunday of Advent - B
Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

John the Baptist came as a witness to the light. In our worship today let us open ourselves to Jesus, the Light of the World.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, Light of the World, forgive us all our wrong thoughts.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, Light of the World, forgive us all that we have done wrong.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, Light of the World, give us your peace.
Lord, have mercy.

Reading:

John 1:6-8; 19-28

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. [7] He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. [8] He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. [20] He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." [21] They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." [22] Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" [23] John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' " [24] Now some Pharisees who had been sent [25] questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" [26] "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. [27] He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." [28] This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Story:

Jesus is the Light of the World, and if keep our eyes fixed on him he can dispel any fear and any darkness within our lives, helping us to reach a wonderful new life with him.

This is a story about Archie, a caterpillar who survives his fears of the Black Cave and eventually reaches the light.

The Black Cave

"Archie!" scolded his older brother Clarence. "Slow down! Don't eat so fast. You're growing fatter and fatter, and you know what'll happen!"

Archie shuddered. He did know what would happen if he went on eating and eating and eating. He knew only too well, because he'd seen it happen to quite a number of his friends.

Archie didn't want to eat so much or to eat so fast, but he couldn't help himself. Something seemed to drive him on, so that however much he wanted to slow down, he couldn't. He was already rounder and heavier than all his sisters and brothers, even those who were older than him.

Archie wished he could remember his mother. Perhaps if she'd been around, she might have been able to help him. But he had no memory of her at all. Clarence had told him that like so many, she too had been caught in the Black Cave, and nobody had ever seen her again.

Everyone Archie knew, was terrified of the Black Cave. Once you went in, you never came out, and there were gruesome stories of what happened inside the Black Cave. Of course, since nobody ever came out, nobody really knew what went on inside the Black Cave, but that didn't stop the fear. Archie broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.

He slowed down as much as he could as he arched his back and inched his way forward across the leaf, but he couldn't resist taking a large bite out of the leaf as he went. He heard Clarence sigh behind him, but it didn't make any difference.

After a while, Archie noticed that he was slowing down. At least, although he was still munching hungrily, he was moving much more slowly and all his brothers and sisters were passing him by. As he grew fatter and fatter, Archie eventually slowed to a complete stop. His body refused to move at all, no matter how hard he tried. And he began to feel very, very sleepy.

Archie could feel darkness beginning to smother him. He was terrified. With his heart in his mouth he tried to fight it. He tried so hard to move and he tried so hard to keep his eyes open, but it was no good. As his eyes closed for the last time, Archie knew he was slipping into the Black Cave, and his last thought was one of sheer terror. He slipped completely into the darkness and everything went black.

Then one day - it might have been days or weeks or months or years later, he had no idea - Archie glimpsed a flash of light. It woke him up a little. The light was wonderful, somehow warm and comforting and welcoming. Archie began to struggle inside the Black Cave which had seemed to be holding him so tightly, but he thought he must be a lot thinner now, for there seemed to be just a tiny amount of room.

It was enough for Archie. He yearned for the light. He pushed and struggled and fought with all his might, trying with every fibre of his being to reach that glorious light. He paused for a moment for breath, then he was off again, pushing and fighting. To his amazement, the Black Cave began to crack. Keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the light, Archie wriggled and struggled, struggled and wriggled. Gradually he began to emerge from the Black Cave into the brilliant light, and he didn't stop wriggling until his whole body was out.

Then he glanced down at his body, and had the biggest surprise of his life. He was no longer round and fat, but had become slender and willowy. Archie's back felt strange, and he gave it a wiggle. He felt something unfurling from his back, then he was up, up and away, floating on the air and tasting delicious pollen on his lips.

Archie spread his wings and thanked God for the light, which had helped him to reach his wonderful new life as a beautiful butterfly.

Activity:

(N.B. Today, tell all children about the Crib Service and invite them to come to the service dressed as angels or shepherds. You could also select two children to dress up as Mary and Joseph.)

Continue with the Jesse Tree. This week make symbols to represent the Angel Gabriel who announced to Mary that she was to have a baby, a lily or a rose to represent Mary the mother of Jesus, and something to do with woodwork to represent Joseph. You could also have a miniature crib, and shepherds and kings. Hang your symbols on the next branches up on your Jesse Tree.

A prayer for the hanging of the symbols:

Jesus, Light of the World, thank you for the angel Gabriel who told Mary that she was to be your mother. And thank you for Mary, for her courage and love and gentleness. Amen.

Light again the first and second candles on the Advent Wreath, and light the third candle. The third candle represents John the Baptist. A prayer for lighting the Advent candle:

We light this candle to give thanks for John the Baptist, who realised that Jesus was the Light of the World and prepared the way for him. Amen.

Intercession:

Shining God, may your Church be a beacon of light to all who draw near. May all who come into your Church this Christmas see the radiance of your face and feel your light in their own hearts.

Shining God, help those who are hopeless to look up to the light and know that there is hope, even for them. We pray especially for those whose lives are torn apart by war or violence.

Shining God, pour your healing light into the hearts and minds and souls and bodies of all who are sick, that they might see you and be made well. We pray especially for ...

Shining God, strengthen those who are weak, comfort those who are sad, support those who are lonely, give worth to those who feel themselves to be a failure, and may every human being become very aware of your love for them personally.

We ask these prayers through Jesus who loved human beings long ago and who loves us still. Amen.

Blessing:

May Jesus, the light for all who know him
Guide your way,
Clear your path,
Brighten your darkness
And fill your life with his love.
And the blessing of God almighty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be with you now,
be in your homes and in your families
and with all those whom you love
and for whom you pray,
this Advent season and always.
Amen.

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Contents
"The Way to God" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Looking Up" by David O. Bales


* * * * * * * *


The Way to God
by Peter Andrew Smith
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)

In his story "The Way to God," Peter Andrew Smith tells of a people seeking to know God in their lives who discover the answer is not about what they do but about how they live.

* * *

SermonStudio

Carlos Wilton
This is a dangerous psalm -- dangerous, because it is so open to misinterpretation.

"Happy are those who fear the Lord...." Well, who could quarrel with that? Yet this psalm goes on to describe, in concrete terms, exactly what form that happiness takes: "Their descendants will be mighty in the land.... Wealth and riches are in their houses" (vv. 2a, 3a).

Power? Wealth? Are these the fruits of a godly life? The psalmist seems to think so.

John R. Brokhoff
THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Isaiah 58:1--9a (9b--12) (C); Isaiah 58:7--10 (RC)
John N. Brittain
I had a much-loved professor in seminary who confessed to some of us over coffee one day that he frequently came home from church and was so frustrated he had to go out and dig in the garden, even in the middle of winter. Robert Louis Stevenson once recorded in his diary, as if it were a surprise, "I went to church today and am not depressed." Someone has said, "I feel like unscrewing my head and putting it underneath the pew every time I go to church." Thoughts like these are often expressed by people who have dropped out of church, especially youth and young adults.
Charles L. Aaron, Jr.
Sometimes when we read a passage of scripture, we may need to pay careful attention to who in the text is speaking. Our understanding of the words themselves may change, depending on whose mouth they come from. If we are reading Job, we need to know which character is speaking in the passage. If Job's friends are talking, we know their words cannot be trusted. They are too self-righteous. Sometimes, we are not sure who is speaking. Job 28 is a beautiful poem extolling the virtue of wisdom, but we can't be sure who delivers this elegant piece.
William B. Kincaid, III
Of all the pressing questions of the day, a sign on one person's desk asks, "How much can I sin and still go to heaven?" The question seems amusing until we stop to think about it. Inherent in this question is a bold-faced confession that there is no interest at all in pursuing a life shaped wholly by the spirit of God, but at the same time we do not want to be so recklessly sacrilegious that we forfeit completely the rewards of the hereafter.
Robert A. Beringer
A Japanese legend says a pious Buddhist monk died and went to heaven. He was taken on a sightseeing tour and gazed in wonder at the lovely mansions built of marble and gold and precious stones. It was all so beautiful, exactly as he pictured it, until he came to a large room that looked like a merchant's shop. Lining the walls were shelves on which were piled and labeled what looked like dried mushrooms. On closer examination, he saw they were actually human ears.
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When pastors retire they have a chance to check out some of the Sunday morning religious television before going off to worship, presuming they don't succumb to the Sunday paper. One retired colleague who has the leisure to monitor Sunday morning television says that churchy television fixes mostly on the personal concerns of the viewers. Anxiety, depression, grief - all important and life--threatening matters - make up much of Sunday morning religious television.
Beverly S. Bailey
Hymns
Hail To The Lord's Anointed (LBW87, CBH185, NCH104, UM203)
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross (PH100, 101, CBH259, 260, NCH224, UM298, 299, LBW482)
Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light (CBH203, NCH140, PH26, UM223)
God Of Grace And God Of Glory (CBH366, NCH436, PH420, UM577)
You Are Salt For The Earth (CBH226, NCH181)
This Little Light Of Mine (CBH401, NCH524, 525, UM585)
Ask Me What Great Thing I Know (NCH49, UM192, PH433)
There's A Spirit In The Air (NCH294, UM192, PH433)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

One of the difficulties that confronts us who drive our vehicles is forgetting to turn off the lights and returning to the car after some hours only to discover a dead battery. I have found that the problem occurs most often when I have been driving during a storm in daytime and had to turn on headlights in order to be seen by other drivers. By the time I get to my destination the rain has often ceased, and the sun is shining brightly. The problem happens, too, when we drive into a brightly lighted parking lot at night.
Wayne Brouwer
Schuyler Rhodes
Some years ago Europa Times carried a story in which Mussa Zoabi of Israel claimed to be the oldest person alive at 160. Guinness Book of World Records would not print his name, however, simply because his age could not be verified. Mr. Zoabi was older than most records-keeping systems. Whatever his true age, Mussa Zoabi believed he knew the secret of longevity. He said, "Every day I drink a cup of melted butter or olive oil."

CSSPlus

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought some salt with me this morning. (Show the salt.) What do we use salt for? (Let them answer.) We use it for flavoring food. How many of you put salt on your popcorn? (Let them answer.) What else do we use salt for? (Let them answer.) We put salt on the sidewalks in winter to keep us from slipping. We put salt in water softeners to soften our water.

In this morning's lesson Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. What do you think he meant by that? (Let them answer.) In Jesus' time salt was very important. It was used to keep food
Good morning! Once Jesus told a whole crowd of people who
had come to hear him preach that they couldn't get into Heaven
unless they were more "righteous" than all the religious leaders
of that day. Does anyone know what that word means? What does it
mean to be righteous? (Let them answer.) It means to be good, to
be fair, and to be honest. Now, what do you think he meant by
that? Was he telling people that they had to do everything
perfectly in this life in order to get into Heaven? (Let them
answer.)
Good morning! How many of you own your own Bible? (Let them
answer.) When you read the Bible, do you find some things that
are hard to understand? (Let them answer.) Yes, I think there are
some tough things to comprehend in the Bible. After all, the
Bible is God's Word, and it's not always easy to understand God.
He is so much greater than we are and much more complex.

Now, I brought a New Testament with me this morning and I
want someone to read a verse for us. Can I have a volunteer? (Let
Teachers and Parents: The most common false doctrine, even
among some who consider themselves strong Christians, is that we
can earn our way into Heaven by our own works. Our children must
learn the basic Christian truth that Heaven is a gift of God and
that there is no way to be righteous enough to deserve it. We
must rely on the righteousness of Christ for our ticket into
Heaven.

* Make white paper ponchos with the name JESUS written in
large letters on each one. (A large hole for the head in a big

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